QUANTITATIVE SCIENCES AND POPULATION RESEARCH GROUP CORE 012 ? QUANTITATIVE SCIENCES SHARED RESOURCE (QSSR) PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The purpose of the QSSR is to provide professional expertise in biostatistics and bioinformatics for all Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center (VICC) projects, investigators, and participants. Functions provided by this shared resource include development of experiment designs, power analysis and sample size estimation; data acquisition and database development; statistical and bioinformatic analysis and interpretation of findings; collaboration on presentation of results; education in biostatistical and bioinformatic methods; and development of tools/methods with application to laboratory research, clinical trials and genomic and proteomic research. To achieve these functions, the QSSR director and associate directors are constantly available to investigators and are in regular contact with the leaders of VICC research programs and other shared resources. The primary objectives of the QSSR are: 1. To provide study design, sample size estimation services, as well as to review all laboratory, animal, clinical, ?omics?, and prevention studies, including a feasibility assessment, for all VICC investigators. 2. To collaborate in funded research efforts initiated by VICC investigators, providing statistical and bioinformatic data analysis, interpretation of results, and the writing of final study reports and manuscripts. 3. To develop and evaluate statistical and bioinformatic methods and software for experimental design, visualization tools, and data analysis. 4. To provide relational database design, data entry, data tracking, forms, queries, and reports, and to maintain computer databases for information storage and retrieval for investigator-initiated clinical trials or laboratory studies. 5. To work with Clinical Protocol and Data Management and the Research Informatics Shared Resource to develop research project databases, to maintain data quality control and ensure timely data capture. 6. To work with the Genomic Sciences Shared Resource in the development of bioinformatic tools and pipelines, to ensure data quality control and provide novel computational biology support. 7. To train VICC members in research design and data analysis through seminars, short statistical and bioinformatic workshops, and individual sessions on statistical and bioinformatic methods. QSSR personnel have worked and will continue to work closely with VICC investigators to assure that the QSSR provides state-of-the-art statistical and bioinformatic support.